After spending part of the morning walking through the American International College gym, Aiden Colón and Julius García had a stack of brochures about summer jobs and college admissions, and they had spoken with a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter.
The two seniors, Colón at Central High, García at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, took advantage of the Patriots Day holiday to visit the Hampden District Attorney’s Hoop Up Springfield Basketball Tournament and the Summer Employment that took place at school.
Colón’s mother suggested it, and the two teens admitted it was a good idea as they walked from booth to booth talking to job recruiters and hearing about future options.
“Most jobs are easy to fill out an application and there are actually many available,” Garcia said.
“You can choose whatever you want,” Columbus said.
Both said they also appreciated the opportunity to speak with college officials, community policing officers and others about their future.
“We are just discovering information. It is an opportunity to learn about other options,” Colón said after speaking with the Navy recruiter.
This is the eighth year that District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni has held the event. He thanked the American International College for giving a presentation on admissions, setting up informational tables and providing lunch. The school’s basketball players and coaches also volunteered to help teach skills to the younger participants and assist in the three-on-three tournament.
The program was open to students ages 11 to 18 and attracted more than 200 youth. Younger students spent the morning learning new basketball skills and practicing drills, while those over 14, who can legally work during the summer, attended the job fair, Gulluni said.
There were 17 different employers, such as Friendly’s, Big Y and Six Flags, available to discuss summer jobs for students. Help was also available for students who needed to complete work permit applications, said Elijah Ayers, community and outreach specialist for the District Attorney’s Office.
Gulluni said he believes working with youth is vital to preventing crime. A teenager who gets a job learns valuable basic job skills, such as how to interact with clients and a boss, sees the financial benefits of taking home a paycheck, and can learn about future careers in which he or she works.
“This is important. We are seeing some 16-year-olds do terrible things,” Gulluni said. “If they are committed to a job, they will avoid some bad elements.”
This gives them the opportunity to learn from their mentors and, even more directly, if a student spends the summer working, they are not on the streets, he said.
“We use basketball to attract kids, but while they’re here, we try to get them a summer job and expose them to a college environment right in their backyard,” he said. “Studies have shown that summer jobs help reduce crime among youth and young adults. By helping our youth find summer employment, it will keep them constructively engaged over the summer while also providing them with a professional experience and connection that they will take with them into adulthood.”
Translated by Damaris Pérez Pizarro
2024-04-18 01:36:12
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